Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-12-25

up in 1867. This was injured by lightning
in IT'S, and though restored, finally con
sumed by fire in 1898. The present image
likewise of wood, was set up in 1901 by {
public spirited citizen of Osaka. 1t rep
resents simply the head and shoulders O
Buddha, and is about forty feet high. II
is ~extravagantly ugly, and l did not won,
der that the priest in charge only charged
halt a cent for the privilege of seeing IT.
1t will serve to furnish food for Nightmares
for some time to come.
Not far from the big Buddha" is the
San-Jiu- Sad Gen-Do, or Temple OF the
Thirty.three Spaces" so called from the
number ofintervals between the wooden
columns which support the roof. 1t
largest temple in Japan, having a frontage
of3S9 feet and a depth of57 feet. Under
its c~obwebbed and dusty roofare enshrined
the thirty and three thousand three hun
dred and thirty-three Kwannons, I" or God
desses of Mercy. In reality there are only
only one thousand large gilt images, ar
ranged in ten tiers, one above the other.
But inspection shows that the h~ead-dresses
and vestments and implements of the idols
are all covered with small figures of the
KwannOn, either embossed or engraved,
and it is by reckoning these that the mar
velous sum of SO, 1873 is reached.
These precious idols, | dare say, will one
of these fine mornings be put up for sale,
as it is getting to be fashionable In Japan
to auction off temples. In that case
should advise anybody who may have been
trying to get up a corner in idols to stand
from under" There will be a crash in
prices when the "33, 1888 Buddhas'' are
thrown upon the market. They might,
however, be proftably used for signs in
front of cigar stores, and would very hand
somely replace the wooden Indian, who
has become the t~utelary guardian o! such
spots.
The forces OF work for the overthrow of
the ancient superstitiens in Japan are very
mighty and are moving swiftly. Twenty
years ago the captain of an American war
ship in the harbOr of Nagasaki had the
greatest difficulty in getting cattle with
which to supply his crew with beef. We
are Buddhists aud vegetarians" was the
reply of the Governor to the demand for
cattle. I'VE cannot countenance the tax
ing of the life of cattle or any other ami
NAL" 1t was only for threats well chosen
that the needed food WAS forthcoming.
To-day Buddhist priests in Japan buy
them doing it myself.
Twenty years ago Buddhist priests were
nominally celibates, though most Of them
lived in concubinage.. To-day they are
quite willing to take to themselves wives
as other men. The system is breaking
down at every point, and the temples are
falling into ruins, while the people stand
by and simply smile. Meanwhile Christi
anity is striding forward with rapid pace.
The Japanese church to-day numbers its
thousands of adherents, and every year
marks great advances. Here in KiOtO is
the Doshisha School, with sixteen build
ings, occupying an area of nine acres,
within rihe-shot of the palace. and IN ii
are seven hundred young people, pursuing
| their studies under Christian instructors
aud influences. Fifty of the young men
have the Christian ministry in view.
The direction of the school this year re-
fused over two hundred and fifth applicants
for admission, simply because there was no
ROOM. The head of this school is a young
japanese who was educated by the late
Hon. Alpheus ". Hardy, of Boston, and
who has lived to become a power in Japan.
Railroads, steamships, telegraphs, tele'
phones, and iron works do not agree with
the ancient systems and the ancient super
s%tltions, and as they come in, aud Christi
anity with them, the old Japan of the
books melts away and the new Japan steps
forth upon the area of modern history, des,
tined no doubt to do a wonderful work and
accomplish a wonderful destiny.
W. J. HOLLAND, Ph.D.,
Naturalist U. S. Eclipse Exp'd'n to Japan.